again TOR and RIFT I didn't pay a dime on, nor Warhammer or EQ2. I was accepted into those tests since I signed up and when it came time to Open Beta test, I made a new character and it was kept when it went live.
Odd, I was in the TOR beta and my characters did indeed get wiped before the head-start launch.
"Sean (Murray) saying MP will be in the game is not remotely close to evidence that at the point of purchase people thought there was MP in the game." - SEANMCAD
again TOR and RIFT I didn't pay a dime on, nor Warhammer or EQ2. I was accepted into those tests since I signed up and when it came time to Open Beta test, I made a new character and it was kept when it went live.
Odd, I was in the TOR beta and my characters did indeed get wiped before the head-start launch.
yea he's confusing the two, cant' seem to get through
again TOR and RIFT I didn't pay a dime on, nor Warhammer or EQ2. I was accepted into those tests since I signed up and when it came time to Open Beta test, I made a new character and it was kept when it went live.
Odd, I was in the TOR beta and my characters did indeed get wiped before the head-start launch.
yea he's confusing the two, cant' seem to get through
Then you guys must of played in one of the closed betas because again. I was selected, I got an email from EA/Trion worlds stating that I was accepted into the Betas. I didn't buy their box AT ALL. No money came from my bank account into their coffers. two weeks after it went Live, I payed them money to keep playing the character I made in Open beta.
My honest question to you since you are defending this so-called beta so heavily is, in your opinion, what is the difference between this beta and launch?
No char wipes
Cash shop open
Full game available
all features on
no restrictions on play times/dates
You asked for logic and facts and yet you only offer "they are using this period for testing" which in all honestly you do not know that unless you work for Cryptic. Based purely on what we can actually see, what is different between this and launch besides just the words?
"Sean (Murray) saying MP will be in the game is not remotely close to evidence that at the point of purchase people thought there was MP in the game." - SEANMCAD
again TOR and RIFT I didn't pay a dime on, nor Warhammer or EQ2. I was accepted into those tests since I signed up and when it came time to Open Beta test, I made a new character and it was kept when it went live.
Odd, I was in the TOR beta and my characters did indeed get wiped before the head-start launch.
yea he's confusing the two, cant' seem to get through
Then you guys must of played in one of the closed betas because again. I was selected, I got an email from EA/Trion worlds stating that I was accepted into the Betas. I didn't buy their box AT ALL. No money came from my bank account into their coffers. two weeks after it went Live, I payed them money to keep playing the character I made in Open beta.
you played the stress test phase of open then, still qualified for pre-play char save for helping stress servers. Once you boght the box(physical or digital same dif) your char unlocked.
If I remember there were 4 open beta phases prior to that, then at least 2 closed(at least that I participated in ) prior to that
Then you guys must of played in one of the closed betas because again. I was selected, I got an email from EA/Trion worlds stating that I was accepted into the Betas. I didn't buy their box AT ALL. No money came from my bank account into their coffers. two weeks after it went Live, I payed them money to keep playing the character I made in Open beta.
I just went back and looked and in all honestly beta characters were wiped in TOR. I purchased the CE edition and was in beta for a long time, then they deleted chars, then the head start launched and people got to play before launch AND people got to play into launch for a while because there was a screw-up with the game keys from Gamestop or some other fiasco that caused EA to allow people to play without buying a key for two weeks or more after launch.
I can not speak about the other games you mentioned as I did not beta them but TOR did indeed wipe beta chars.
"Sean (Murray) saying MP will be in the game is not remotely close to evidence that at the point of purchase people thought there was MP in the game." - SEANMCAD
My honest question to you since you are defending this so-called beta so heavily is, in your opinion, what is the difference between this beta and launch?
No char wipes
Cash shop open
Full game available
all features on
no restrictions on play times/dates
You asked for logic and facts and yet you only offer "they are using this period for testing" which in all honestly you do not know that unless you work for Cryptic. Based purely on what we can actually see, what is different between this and launch besides just the words?
This beta and launch (for neverwinter) we should (and i emphasize that because people keep being told this by others) be getting a new race, new classes. Most Open Betas i've played in for sub games I have said are basically a soft launch. We don't know what any company is honestly doing, like you said, if we work for them. I'm more or less asking people what opinions they have for what companies should do. And I did get answers. People said call it a launch, others said it's being tested, and most called it a scam.
The only thing that seems that will be different is servers merged into one, the AH evening out a bit, less people, and less super lag in heavy areas. But in terms of gameplay, there will never be a difference until later down the road when they inevitably start taking stuff out and make other things more streamlined.
My honest question to you since you are defending this so-called beta so heavily is, in your opinion, what is the difference between this beta and launch?
No char wipes
Cash shop open
Full game available
all features on
no restrictions on play times/dates
You asked for logic and facts and yet you only offer "they are using this period for testing" which in all honestly you do not know that unless you work for Cryptic. Based purely on what we can actually see, what is different between this and launch besides just the words?
This beta and launch (for neverwinter) we should (and i emphasize that because people keep being told this by others) be getting a new race, new classes. Most Open Betas i've played in for sub games I have said are basically a soft launch. We don't know what any company is honestly doing, like you said, if we work for them. I'm more or less asking people what opinions they have for what companies should do. And I did get answers. People said call it a launch, others said it's being tested, and most called it a scam.
The only thing that seems that will be different is servers merged into one, the AH evening out a bit, less people, and less super lag in heavy areas. But in terms of gameplay, there will never be a difference until later down the road when they inevitably start taking stuff out and make other things more streamlined.
easy rule of thumb answer, if real money is exchanged for a company produced service, item, idea(patent/license) to a market; it becomes a commercial product by definition.
EDIT
com·mer·cial
adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of commerce.
2. engaged in commerce.
3. prepared, done, or acting with sole or chief emphasis on salability, profit, or success: a commercial product; His attitude toward the theater is very commercial.
4. able to yield or make a profit: We decided that the small oil well was not commercial.
5. suitable or fit for a wide, popular market: Communications satellites are gradually finding a commercial use.
prod·uct
[ pró dùkt ]
1.something made or created: something that is made or created by a person, machine, or natural process, especially something that is offered for sale 2.company's goods or services: the goods or services produced by a company 3.result: something that arises as a consequence of something else
Then you guys must of played in one of the closed betas because again. I was selected, I got an email from EA/Trion worlds stating that I was accepted into the Betas. I didn't buy their box AT ALL. No money came from my bank account into their coffers. two weeks after it went Live, I payed them money to keep playing the character I made in Open beta.
I just went back and looked and in all honestly beta characters were wiped in TOR. I purchased the CE edition and was in beta for a long time, then they deleted chars, then the head start launched and people got to play before launch AND people got to play into launch for a while because there was a screw-up with the game keys from Gamestop or some other fiasco that caused EA to allow people to play without buying a key for two weeks or more after launch.
I can not speak about the other games you mentioned as I did not beta them but TOR did indeed wipe beta chars.
They wiped chars because there was no Open Beta, So I was wrong on the TOR part, my bad.
In our Open Beta we are still checking out our system, fixing lots of bugs, but also have Founder's Packs, that allow them to get items and virtual currency booth immediately in Open Beta, as well as at launch when we do a reset.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter?
The question still set's there.
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
Then it's a beta commercial product.
and? glad we all agree
I don't know what I'm agreeing on. You keep stating it's a commercial product (which you seem to have a hard on for that word now) and that it's released and nothing more should be said on the subject. Now I just added beta infront of your most favorite word in the universe and you are saying I'm agreeing. I'm not. I'm saying this is a Open Beta phase that is testing how the game works but it has PWI's commercial product in it.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
And the point is...who care's? I mean really,why does it make a difference?WoW had a patch within 1 week of launch,so why does it make a difference if NW does and it's open beta?
That's my point,there really is no difference except names/titles of what the software is.Seem's pretty lame to me.The way I see it,a game can so called launch and actually be in a beta state.People accept the launch title because of what they're told.It could be just slightly more than the open beta code.
Is it really that big of deal?In the end they're all out to get our money,either short term or long term.
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
Then it's a beta commercial product.
and? glad we all agree
I don't know what I'm agreeing on. You keep stating it's a commercial product (which you seem to have a hard on for that word now) and that it's released and nothing more should be said on the subject. Now I just added beta infront of your most favorite word in the universe and you are saying I'm agreeing. I'm not. I'm saying this is a Open Beta phase that is testing how the game works but it has PWI's commercial product in it.
I really don't know how to make it any clearer if the defined terms don't clue you in, sorry maybe some one else here can explain it better.
I don't know why people think companies are being so dishonest with all this. You are all responsible for it. not them.
Look at all the games that had a nightmarish launch and what happened to their number even after they got it all fixed. Ok some like wow obviously recovered but not all. Now look at games that had nightmarish open beta launches. No one really talking about it and if they do ppl defend them and say it's just beta.
Why would a company risk the type of backlash they get if things go wrong when all you have to do is call it open beta and ppl suddenly become reasonable adults instead of irrational children.. ...
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
And the point is...who care's? I mean really,why does it make a difference?WoW had a patch within 1 week of launch,so why does it make a difference if NW does and it's open beta?
That's my point,there really is no difference except names/titles of what the software is.Seem's pretty lame to me.The way I see it,a game can so called launch and actually be in a beta state.People accept the launch title because of what they're told.It could be just slightly more than the open beta code.
Is it really that big of deal?In the end they're all out to get our money,either short term or long term.
I get what you are saying on this. From my understanding, AoC felt like it was still in Closed Beta when it launched.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
And the point is...who care's? I mean really,why does it make a difference?WoW had a patch within 1 week of launch,so why does it make a difference if NW does and it's open beta?
That's my point,there really is no difference except names/titles of what the software is.Seem's pretty lame to me.The way I see it,a game can so called launch and actually be in a beta state.People accept the launch title because of what they're told.It could be just slightly more than the open beta code.
Is it really that big of deal?In the end they're all out to get our money,either short term or long term.
I get what you are saying on this. From my understanding, AoC felt like it was still in Closed Beta when it launched.
Correct, one reason the backlash on it was so strong, functionally it still needed testing/polishing/balancing but they needed to pay off investors like now so they started charging for it before they were in a position to address it's consumers concerns.
In the case of NW the clock started as soon as they charged $ and become a product. If they address the concerns of it's consumers fast enough, good deal. If they believe calling it a beta gives them more time with a consumer base they will be mistaken. They could call it purple for all I care if they provide sufficient value to its consumer base.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
And the point is...who care's? I mean really,why does it make a difference?WoW had a patch within 1 week of launch,so why does it make a difference if NW does and it's open beta?
That's my point,there really is no difference except names/titles of what the software is.Seem's pretty lame to me.The way I see it,a game can so called launch and actually be in a beta state.People accept the launch title because of what they're told.It could be just slightly more than the open beta code.
Is it really that big of deal?In the end they're all out to get our money,either short term or long term.
I get what you are saying on this. From my understanding, AoC felt like it was still in Closed Beta when it launched.
Yea Rep,I'm just looking at and trying to be non biased.I can see both side's and am just wondering.Is there really much difference at all between open beta/launch.I know I sure didn't feel a difference playing AOC/EQ2 and War.
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that's makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter.
The question still set's there.
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
And the point is...who care's? I mean really,why does it make a difference?WoW had a patch within 1 week of launch,so why does it make a difference if NW does and it's open beta?
That's my point,there really is no difference except names/titles of what the software is.Seem's pretty lame to me.The way I see it,a game can so called launch and actually be in a beta state.People accept the launch title because of what they're told.It could be just slightly more than the open beta code.
Is it really that big of deal?In the end they're all out to get our money,either short term or long term.
I get what you are saying on this. From my understanding, AoC felt like it was still in Closed Beta when it launched.
Yea Rep,I'm just looking at and trying to be non biased.I can see both side's and am just wondering.Is there really much difference at all between open beta/launch.I know I sure didn't feel a difference playing AOC/EQ2 and War.
Open Betas are always near the launch date. When i played DCUO when it went into it's open beta phase, It played just like the launch when it hit it's date. Then after the grace period and I didn't feel like dropping 60 dollars on it to keep playing, I just called it a soft launch as well. It seems really the only part of a Open Beta now is to see if they can keep the game going with tons of people on it.
Comments
Odd, I was in the TOR beta and my characters did indeed get wiped before the head-start launch.
yea he's confusing the two, cant' seem to get through
Then you guys must of played in one of the closed betas because again. I was selected, I got an email from EA/Trion worlds stating that I was accepted into the Betas. I didn't buy their box AT ALL. No money came from my bank account into their coffers. two weeks after it went Live, I payed them money to keep playing the character I made in Open beta.
My honest question to you since you are defending this so-called beta so heavily is, in your opinion, what is the difference between this beta and launch?
No char wipes
Cash shop open
Full game available
all features on
no restrictions on play times/dates
You asked for logic and facts and yet you only offer "they are using this period for testing" which in all honestly you do not know that unless you work for Cryptic. Based purely on what we can actually see, what is different between this and launch besides just the words?
you played the stress test phase of open then, still qualified for pre-play char save for helping stress servers. Once you boght the box(physical or digital same dif) your char unlocked.
If I remember there were 4 open beta phases prior to that, then at least 2 closed(at least that I participated in ) prior to thatI just went back and looked and in all honestly beta characters were wiped in TOR. I purchased the CE edition and was in beta for a long time, then they deleted chars, then the head start launched and people got to play before launch AND people got to play into launch for a while because there was a screw-up with the game keys from Gamestop or some other fiasco that caused EA to allow people to play without buying a key for two weeks or more after launch.
I can not speak about the other games you mentioned as I did not beta them but TOR did indeed wipe beta chars.
This beta and launch (for neverwinter) we should (and i emphasize that because people keep being told this by others) be getting a new race, new classes. Most Open Betas i've played in for sub games I have said are basically a soft launch. We don't know what any company is honestly doing, like you said, if we work for them. I'm more or less asking people what opinions they have for what companies should do. And I did get answers. People said call it a launch, others said it's being tested, and most called it a scam.
The only thing that seems that will be different is servers merged into one, the AH evening out a bit, less people, and less super lag in heavy areas. But in terms of gameplay, there will never be a difference until later down the road when they inevitably start taking stuff out and make other things more streamlined.
easy rule of thumb answer, if real money is exchanged for a company produced service, item, idea(patent/license) to a market; it becomes a commercial product by definition.
EDIT
com·mer·cial
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of commerce.
2.
engaged in commerce.
3.
prepared, done, or acting with sole or chief emphasis on salability, profit, or success: a commercial product; His attitude toward the theater is very commercial.
4.
able to yield or make a profit: We decided that the small oil well was not commercial.
5.
suitable or fit for a wide, popular market: Communications satellites are gradually finding a commercial use.
prod·uct
[ pró dùkt ]
1.something made or created: something that is made or created by a person, machine, or natural process, especially something that is offered for sale
2.company's goods or services: the goods or services produced by a company
3.result: something that arises as a consequence of something else
They wiped chars because there was no Open Beta, So I was wrong on the TOR part, my bad.
Thanks,
Mike
Working on Social Strategy MMORTS (now Launched!) http://www.worldalpha.com
You don't launch a finished product with beta data, you wipe and launch clean. Beta data in this case being in game characters.
At best they have a poor programming ethic, at worst they're money grubbing bastards.
Ok here's a curveball to this thread,but relevant.
How do you know WoW,War,Lotro,EQ2 and so on didn't actually launch in a beta phase?Is it because of the number sequence?Was it because they said it was launch and not beta?How do you really know?Was there really much of a difference between open beta and launch?
Honest question,do we really know?
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Arya Stark
what it's called is irrelevant, it becomes a commercial product the moment a company sells it.
And thus that makes it relevant.If they make it commercial during open beta or launch...Does it really matter?
The question still set's there.
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Arya Stark
commercial product = launch, calling it a beta does not make it any less a commercial product.
Then it's a beta commercial product.
and? glad we all agree
I don't know what I'm agreeing on. You keep stating it's a commercial product (which you seem to have a hard on for that word now) and that it's released and nothing more should be said on the subject. Now I just added beta infront of your most favorite word in the universe and you are saying I'm agreeing. I'm not. I'm saying this is a Open Beta phase that is testing how the game works but it has PWI's commercial product in it.
And the point is...who care's? I mean really,why does it make a difference?WoW had a patch within 1 week of launch,so why does it make a difference if NW does and it's open beta?
That's my point,there really is no difference except names/titles of what the software is.Seem's pretty lame to me.The way I see it,a game can so called launch and actually be in a beta state.People accept the launch title because of what they're told.It could be just slightly more than the open beta code.
Is it really that big of deal?In the end they're all out to get our money,either short term or long term.
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Arya Stark
I really don't know how to make it any clearer if the defined terms don't clue you in, sorry maybe some one else here can explain it better.
I don't know why people think companies are being so dishonest with all this. You are all responsible for it. not them.
Look at all the games that had a nightmarish launch and what happened to their number even after they got it all fixed. Ok some like wow obviously recovered but not all. Now look at games that had nightmarish open beta launches. No one really talking about it and if they do ppl defend them and say it's just beta.
Why would a company risk the type of backlash they get if things go wrong when all you have to do is call it open beta and ppl suddenly become reasonable adults instead of irrational children.. ...
I get what you are saying on this. From my understanding, AoC felt like it was still in Closed Beta when it launched.
Correct, one reason the backlash on it was so strong, functionally it still needed testing/polishing/balancing but they needed to pay off investors like now so they started charging for it before they were in a position to address it's consumers concerns.
In the case of NW the clock started as soon as they charged $ and become a product. If they address the concerns of it's consumers fast enough, good deal. If they believe calling it a beta gives them more time with a consumer base they will be mistaken. They could call it purple for all I care if they provide sufficient value to its consumer base.
Yea Rep,I'm just looking at and trying to be non biased.I can see both side's and am just wondering.Is there really much difference at all between open beta/launch.I know I sure didn't feel a difference playing AOC/EQ2 and War.
Some day I'm going to put a sword through your eye and out the back of your skull!
Arya Stark
Open Betas are always near the launch date. When i played DCUO when it went into it's open beta phase, It played just like the launch when it hit it's date. Then after the grace period and I didn't feel like dropping 60 dollars on it to keep playing, I just called it a soft launch as well. It seems really the only part of a Open Beta now is to see if they can keep the game going with tons of people on it.